Tag : gamblers

Chennai: An influential association, representing thousands of Indian esports athletes and skill gamers, has made a representation to the Tamil Nadu government to recognise skill games as a distinct sport and not club it along with gambling. Two Indian chess prodigies have also weighed in with their support. The Esports Players Welfare Association (EPWA), said in the representation that the TN government should provide a safe harbour for professional, amateur and casual online skill gamers as exemption from the ambit of any state-related gambling or gaming legislations. This has come in the backdrop of a controversy that has broken out in Tamil Nadu around rummy and other skill games. The Tamil Nadu government constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) K. Chandru for advising on enacting fresh legislation on online games. The committee's report is under the active consideration of the state government. Further, the government has invited inputs from various stakeholders, like the general public, parents, teachers, gamers, social activists, gaming service providers on the proposed litigation on online games. Two Indian chess prodigies from India have also lent their weight to this plea. Grandmaster Ankit Rajpara said, "The Central government needs to take some action with regards to these arbitrary bans. In the past the Central government has given comfort to players in stakeholder meetings that we will not be treated as criminals. However, state governments continue to do the opposite." Rathanvel VS, who was recently third at the prestigious Andorra Chess Open said, "In the past, when the Tamil Nadu government banned online skill-based gaming, various chess players were not able to participate in tournaments ...